This document analyzes the poem "If Thou Must Love Me" by Emily Barrett Browning. It discusses the speaker warning her lover not to love her for the wrong reasons. The tone shifts dramatically from harsh and cautionary to hopeful after a volta. The punctuation and diction are used to emphasize this tonal change. Overall, the analysis argues that the poem fulfills Robert Frost's definition of poetry by beginning in delight and providing a clarification of life.

1. Emily Barrett Browning
IF THOU MUST LOVE ME

2. The speaker is a woman who
warns her lover about falling in
love with her for the wrong
reasons.
The audience of the poem is her
“Belovèd” (7), influencing the
tone of the poem.
CONTEXT

3. Tone
•First 12 lines
•Overall tone is harsh and cautionary
•Filled with anxiety
• “If thou must love me” (1)
• “Do not say” (2)
• “Neither love me for thine own dear pity’s wiping my
cheeks dry” (9-10)

4. Tone
•Last 2 lines
•Tone changes to jovial and hopeful
•“But love me for love’s sake” (13)
•“Thou mayst love on” (14)

5. Tone
•The end of line 12 signals a volta
“Thy comfort long, and lose thy love
thereby!”
This indicates a pause in the poem where
the tone shifts dramatically.

6. Punctuation
•Periods indicate finite statements
•“If thou must love me, let it be for nought
except for love’s sake only.” (1-2)
•“… and love, so wrought, may be unwrought.”
(8-9)
•Emphasizes harsh tone before volta
•After volta, emphasizes a content ending
•“Thou mayst love on, through love’s eternity.”
(14)

7. Punctuation
•Lone exclamation point signals the peak
of passion and emotion (volta)
•“Thy comfort long, and lose thy love thereby!”
(12)
•Emotional crescendo
•Passion builds throughout poem and
reaches its maximum level at the
exclamation point

8. Diction
•Temporary diction before the volta
•“such a day” (6)
•“Be changed, or change for thee” (8)
•“unwrought” (9)
•“forget” (11)
•“lose thy love” (12)

9. Diction
•Permanent diction after the volta
•“evermore” (13)
•“love on” (14)
•“eternity” (14)
The change in diction mimics the change in
tone.

10. The speaker uses a change in tone
and diction to express her
emotions regarding love. She
emphasizes these qualities with
the punctuation usage.
OVERALL ANALYSIS

11. Is this an
example
of
“great
poetry?”
This poem corresponds
to Robert Frost’s
definition of poetry:
“A poem begins in delight, it
inclines to the impulse, it
assumes a direction with the
first line laid down, it runs a
course of lucky events, and
ends in a clarification of life-
not necessarily a great
clarification, such as sects and
cults are founded on, but in a
momentary stay against
confusion.”

12. This poem begins with an obvious
direction and builds as it progresses. It
gives reason to a crucial part of life,
finding love. Browning communicates
through this poem that love is only to be
sought after if one loves for the right
reasons, and not for fleeting pleasures
of looks or emotional gain. Because of
this, “If thou must love me” is
considered great poetry.